GM recalls 218,000 Aveo cars in U.S. - NHTSA filing

DETROIT May 21 (Reuters) - General Motors Co is
recalling 218,000 older-generation Chevrolet small cars in the
United States for a potential fire hazard, adding to the largest
U.S. automaker's record recall total, according to U.S. safety
regulators.

The recall is the latest announced by GM, the highest
profile of which is the recall of cars with defective ignition
switches linked to at least 13 deaths. The Detroit company has
been criticized by safety advocates and fined by U.S. safety
regulators for its delayed response in catching the faulty
switch.

A day after recalling 2.6 million vehicles globally, most of
them in the United States, GM is recalling 218,000 Chevrolet
Aveo cars in the United States from model years 2004 to 2008 as
a part in the daytime running lights could overheat and cause a
fire, according to documents filed with the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration.

GM officials did not have an immediate comment.

The recall adds to a string this year that totals almost
11.8 million in the United States, topping the record 10.7
million the company recalled in that market in 2004. It pushes
the number of vehicles GM has recalled globally this year to
about 15.6 million.

GM took a $1.3 billion charge in the first quarter for
recall-repair costs and said Tuesday that it expects to take
another $400 million charge in the second quarter for the same
reason.
(Reporting by Ben Klayman; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)